Yuji's vision returned slowly.
Dark shapes came first. Flickering light. Strange markings crawled across the walls like living things.
Talismans hung everywhere, layered over one another, paper seals flying in the air.
His head throbbed.
Where… am I?
The room felt heavy as if the air itself was pressing down on him.
He tried to move.
Metal clinked.
Yuji realised he was restrained. Chains cuffed around his wrists and ankles.
Panic flickered in his chest, but before it could grow, familiar voices reached him.
"They really are a bunch of assholes," Aimi said flatly.
Her words sounded muffled, as if Yuji were underwater.
"I know riiight~~" Gojo dragged out lazily. "now ya get why I hate those grandpas' asses."
"Nevermind that," Aimi replied. "Didn't you enjoy that conversation way too much?"
"Heh. Maybe a little."
Yuji blinked harder as the fog lifted.
White hair came into focus first.
Gojo stood near the edge of the room, his hands tucked into his pockets, his posture relaxed like this was just another afternoon.
Across from him was Aimi. She stood with her arms crossed, weight shifted to one leg, expression tense but controlled.
His throat felt dry. His body still felt heavy.
He swallowed, then breathed out softly.
Aimi noticed first.
Her head snapped toward him. "Yuji?"
She crossed the room in an instant, kneeling beside the chair. Her hands hovered for a second, hesitant, then gently touched his arm.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
Yuji's dizziness was fading, slowly peeling away like fog under sunlight.
"Ah…" His voice came out hoarse. "Aimi sensei…?"
"Yeah," she said quietly. "It's me."
Gojo stepped closer, peering down at him with a grin. "Yo. Welcome back to the land of the living."
Yuji tried to laugh, but it came out weak. "This place looks… kinda cursed."
"cuz it is." Gojo shrugged.
Yuji winced slightly as he shifted. The chains rattled again, but his head felt clearer now. The pounding behind his eyes had dulled into a faint ache.
"What happened?" he asked. "Last thing I remember…"
"You lost," Gojo said cheerfully. "Very fast. Record speed, actually."
"Sukuna surfaced. Gojo knocked you out before anything could happen." Aimi explained.
Yuji's fingers curled slightly. "Did I hurt anyone?"
"No," Aimi's expression softened into a smile. "You didn't." She patted his head.
His shoulders sagged in relief.
"And the black-haired boy?" he recalled
"He is fine," Gojo answered. "A little beat up. He will complain about it later."
Yuji exhaled a relieved sigh.
Silence settled for a moment.
Then the young boy glanced down at the restraints, then back up at them. "Am I… in trouble?"
"A little," Gojo said lightly.
Yuji face hung. "Eh?"
-----
After a long conversation, Yuji was settled into his room under supervision.
Once the doors closed behind him, the weight of the underground wing finally lifted.
The night air on Jujutsu High grounds felt cooler. Deceptively peaceful.
Aimi walked beside Gojo in silence, hands tucked into her sleeves. Lanterns lined the path, their light stretching shadows across stone and grass.
"Where is Megumi?" she asked at last.
"Probably still in the infirmary," Gojo hummed.
"Can we check on him?"
He glanced sideways at her. "Of course you would want that."
He shifted his path subtly, turning them toward the infirmary wing.
They walked a while before Aimi voiced.
"So Yuji has to join Jujutsu High now."
"Yep."
"That means he trains. Fights. Hunts curses. Sukuna's fingers, and becomes like a real sorcerer."
"Basically." He shrugged. "It's much better than getting executed tonight. He'll get to at least make friends, go on school trips, and struggle with homework, etc., like a real kid. The youth package deal."
Aimi seems worried. "Right…"
"The fingers are scattered," Gojo continued. "They will not all be found anytime soon. He will have time. Years, even. Enough to live like a normal kid in between. As long as he keeps Sukuna under control."
Her steps slowed.
"I get that it is the only way," she said quietly. "But there is still this bitterness I cannot swallow."
They stopped walking.
"If you are that worried," Gojo said lightly, "you could join Jujutsu High too. Watch over him or whatever."
Her lips parted. Then closed.
"That is your job," she replied. "To look over him."
"Then you can look over me while I look over him."
She stared. "What are you. A kid?"
"Haha."
"Not funny."
They started walking again.
"I cannot just join," she sighed. "If I do, I drop out of uni. Leave my students. Give up everything I built."
"I know," Gojo hummed. "We have rehearsed this multiple times."
She glanced at him, surprised by the lack of teasing.
"This sucks," she muttered.
"You think too much. Just try it out. If you hate it, you can quit."
"I have nothing to go back to if I quit."
He was quiet for half a second.
Then his grin spread wide. "Yknow, worst comes to worst, if you quit sorcery and have nothing left, I will take care of you."
She stopped walking. "What."
"Yeah," he sang cheerfully. "I am rich. You can stay home, do nothing all day, and cook maybe."
Silence.
More silence.
"What the hell are you saying," she shook her head.
He leaned a little closer. "I hate that you think so much."
"Well, clearly, someone has to," she shot back.
They reached the infirmary doors. Warm light spilled through the windows, soft against the dark.
Aimi paused, her hand hovering over the handle.
"You are serious about taking care of me."
"Yeah," Gojo said easily. "I can marry you if you want."
"What the hell are you saying," she repeated.
"Why? I am rich, handsome, strong, funny," he listed proudly. "World's best husband, no?"
"Self-awarded bullshit."
He laughed, but his voice softened. "I would actually take care of you though."
She exhaled.
"Fine."
"What?" He nearly tripped.
"But not yet," she continued calmly. "I cannot give up everything just yet. I will finish teaching this martial arts cohort first. Their final exam is next month. After that…"
She looked up at him.
"I will follow you."
Gojo froze completely.
His eyes sparkled like a kid who had just been given the greatest Christmas present known to man.
The infirmary door creaked softly as Aimi finally pushed it open.
Megumi lay asleep on the infirmary bed, chest rising steadily beneath thin white sheets.
A brown-haired woman stood nearby, arms crossed over a lab coat. Dark circles sat heavily beneath her eyes.
The moment she noticed them, she lifted a finger and pointed sharply downward.
Quiet.
They stepped back out into the hallway, the door closing softly behind them.
The woman leaned against the wall and let out a long breath. "He is fine."
Aimi relaxed visibly. "Just sleeping?"
"Yeah," the nurse replied. "Recovering stamina. I fixed the physical damage, but exhaustion is not something I can patch up."
"Aimi-chan, let me introduce you to the most important individual in Jujutsu High!" Gojo gestured toward the doctor. "This is Shoko. Ieiri Shoko."
Shoko raised two fingers in greeting.
Gojo continued, tone casual. "She uses Reverse Cursed Technique, a skilful technique that allows one to heal themselves, but she can also heal others. Things like regrowing limbs and patching up ripped organs. As long as they're not dead yet, she can probably do something~"
"Unparalleled use of RCT," Shoko corrected. "Medical expertise, too. I am not just waving cursed energy around."
"Yeah yeah," Gojo waved her off. "Anyway, she does not have a standard cursed technique, but she is one of the most important people here."
Aimi nodded slowly. "I see."
Shoko then looked at Gojo, eyes narrowing slightly. "Still strange though."
"Hm?"
"You actually came to check on your student." She tilted her head. "If they are not dead, you usually assume they are fine."
"That is slander," Gojo shot back.
"It is documented behaviour," Shoko shrugged.
"I care," Gojo insisted. "I visit them mentally"
Shoko ignored the banter and directed her attention to Yumi. She studied her for a second. Then frowned. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"Riwaka Aimi. Nice to meet you." She introduced, "I'm just a bystander."
Shoko snorted. "Yeah, no." Then she shot Gojo a side glare, "Gojo Satoru do not bring random NPCs around."
'NPCs... =..='
Gojo grinned widely. "You will find out pretty soon."
Shoko sighed, rubbing her temples. "Great. Another headache."